I grew up in Texas in the 50s and 60s. Spent part of my childhood in Alabama. Which means I grew up among racists. So I was a racist. When you grow up when and where I did, you can’t not be.But then the Civil Rights movement came along.For a lot of people, of course it made no difference. They held on to racism like it was a precious human right. (Woe to any black man who walked into our little white neighborhood church; the chill would have frozen him down to his bones.)For most of … [Read more...]

Kick up your heels occasionally. Take each day as it comes. Watch for gopher holes along the way. Don’t eat too much rich food. Everybody farts. Sometimes you have to take the bit in your teeth. Graze whenever possible. Friends can come in any color. There’s no shame in natural functions. … [Read more...]

Mulling several recent stories about burning or defacing "holy" books:So why aren't we atheists burning more Bibles? I mean, really, it would make the point that these books are non-holy, and the second point that we (and others) certainly have the freedom to do it.. … [Read more...]

So here we are in a world where we COULD find a dividing line between those two types of people, and a fairly clear one ... if we ever really thought about it.Yes, there are some nasty, cold, heartless ones, and they exist in the same world with these others who are big-hearted, compassionate and loving.Who would fit into each category? … [Read more...]

Maybe you've already seen this. A young man in the military, stationed in Germany, calls his Alabama father. Can I tell you something? Will you love me, period? Dad, I'm gay. Kudos to his father, too: Dad, you totally rock! Makes me kind of ashamed I occasionally conceal the fact of being an atheist. . http://youtu.be/DVAgz6iyK6A … [Read more...]